Cass, the flagship beer brand of South Korea’s Oriental Brewery (OB), has been ranked 23rd in the 2025 list of the world’s top 50 most valuable beer brands, released by the global brand valuation agency Brand Finance. It is the only Korean brand to make the list, underscoring Cass’s rising international stature.
Brand Finance, a UK-based brand valuation consultancy, announced the rankings on July 25 (local time), highlighting the top 50 beer brands worldwide. Cass appeared alongside major Asian players such as Japan’s Asahi (7th), Kirin (15th), and China’s Snow (6th) and Tsingtao (9th).
Cass’s 23rd-place finish puts it in the same league as globally recognized brands like San Miguel of the Philippines (20th), Tuborg of Denmark (19th), and Skol of Brazil (18th). The brand’s value is attributed to its dominant domestic market share, continuous product innovation, and aggressive marketing strategies.
According to Nielsen Korea, Cass claimed a 44% share of the domestic retail beer market in the first half of last year, making it the top-selling beer in the country. The brand emphasizes freshness through non-pasteurization techniques and has increased its global visibility by sponsoring major sporting events like the World Cup and the Olympics.
In the 2025 ranking, Mexico’s Corona topped the list with a brand value of approximately $13.3 billion, a 28.6% increase from the previous year. It was followed by Heineken of the Netherlands ($12.8 billion) and Budweiser of the United States ($11.8 billion).
Other top 10 brands included Bud Light (5th, U.S.), Guinness (10th, Ireland), and five Chinese brands—Snow, Tsingtao, Harbin, Yanjing, and Zhujiang—demonstrating the growing influence of Asia’s beer market.
Brand Finance calculates brand value based on projected future earnings attributable to brand usage. The evaluation uses the Royalty Relief Method, which estimates the net economic benefit a brand would generate if licensed to a third party.
